Ebenezer Goldman
by bionic4ever
Summary: Is Oscar just being a Scrooge when he gives Jaime an assignment on Christmas Eve?Happy Holidays from b4e and The Bionic Project. See my profile for the web address and stop in for a visit!
1. Chapter 1

**Ebenezer Goldman**

Chapter One

Jaime was _not _happy; in fact, she had worked herself into a fairly respectable fury on the drive to OSI Headquarters, and was muttering to herself as she stormed past Callahan's empty desk. "So what if it's my first holiday by myself? I'm better off without Chris and it IS still a holiday, after all. Who the hell does he think he is...?" She made her way into the inner office without bothering to knock and, finding it empty, slumped into a chair with her arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face. "The world better be coming to an end," she grumbled under her breath, "or he just might wish that it was."

"Good morning!" Oscar said cheerfully, almost bouncing as he took his place behind the desk.

"What's good about it?" Jaime ranted in return. "I see even Callahan has the day off, but not me, huh?"

"Well, I'm here, too," he said reasonably, still smiling, "if that makes any difference."

"Oscar, this better be of earth-shattering importance. It's Christmas Eve!"

Oscar described the assignment and braced himself for the verbal onslaught, which hit immediately and at full bionic force.

"Are you kidding?" Jaime exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You _are _joking, right?" Oscar merely stared back at her with serious, non-kidding eyes. "A fact-finding mission? You're sending me to be a look-out? C'mon, Oscar – you could send any first year rookie out on this one! Why me?"

"We may need your special...listening capabilities," he said with a shrug.

"That's what amplification devices were made for," she retorted. "Here's a novel concept for you: Christmas..._Holiday...__**Day off**__!"_

"And I have a concept for you," Oscar told her. "Employee..._Boss...__**Assignment.**_"

"You're gonna pull rank on me – at Christmas?"

"Christmas Eve."

"Oscar -"

"I'm sending a field op out to the same station to handle the electronic gear and lug the equipment," he continued, ignoring her obvious ire, "so all you'll have to do is settle in, get comfortable and keep watch."

"I don't believe this!"

She was taking the news better than he'd expected, and Oscar had to stifle the smile that threatened to overtake him. "Your chopper is waiting; you'll leave right away."

Jaime glared at him. "Merry Christmas, Ebenezer Goldman," she growled on her way out the door.

Once she had gone, Oscar's smile was radiant. "Merry Christmas, Babe," he said softly.

- - - - - -

"So why is Goldman sending you so far into the boonies on Christmas Eve?" Jaime's Air Force chopper pilot inquired as he helped her back onto terra firma. Jaime merely raised an eyebrow, feeling too disgruntled and sorry for herself to concoct a clever answer. "Classified, huh?" the pilot deduced.

"Something like that."

"Well, at least you'll have company. See ya!" He seemed almost relieved to be on his way again, and Jaime could see why.

The little cottage wasn't much to look at – two summers ago, a thorough paint job would've been welcome and the wooden porch steps looked positively rustic, but Jaime supposed that rustic could be cozy, too. Snow had begun falling that morning as they were taking off in the chopper, and now that the flakes were bigger and coming a bit faster, the little cottage (shack?) did have a certain charm. She was relieved to see smoke spiraling from the chimney; whoever the lower level OSI flunky was that Oscar had sent to assist her with whatever she needed, at least he had enough sense to start a fire in the fireplace.

_Ok, Oscar, _she thought to herself, _I'm here to observe, and I'm observing...snow. Maybe it's Level Six snow...? _Jaime laughed to herself, finally finding at least a little humor in her situation as she headed inside. Her helper was over in the corner by the fireplace, tinkering with a datacom. He picked up the crates that had been sitting against the wall and turned to her, steadying a pile that was even taller than he was, and stood there as if waiting for her instructions.

"Just put 'em anywhere, for now," Jaime sighed. "We'll sort through it all later." The man (and the stack of crates) didn't move. "What?" she asked. Was he nervous, shy or simply inept?

"Aren't you even gonna say hello?" the 'stack' asked with a chuckle. Her helper set down the crates, and Jaime laughed like she hadn't laughed in years.

She nodded, understanding now what her 'Scrooge' had been up to. "Hi, Steve."

- - - - - -

"So, did you know all along that Oscar was planning this?" Jaime asked as she and Steve sipped hot cocoa next to the fireplace.

"All I knew was that Oscar was sending me out needlessly on Christmas Eve," Steve replied, chuckling. "I wasn't very nice to him."

"I called him Ebenezer Goldman."

"You did not!" Steve was finding he couldn't look directly into Jaime's eyes; they still held the power to mesmerize him and leave him totally speechless. "Did you really?"

"Yep."

"I called him Oscar the Scrooge." His eyes were greedily taking in every detail of the woman seated beside him on the rug, and he longed to hold her, to kiss her and simply never stop, but...

"It's always great to see you," Steve finally continued, "but I doubt Chris will be too happy when he hears about this."

Jaime was shocked. She'd assumed Oscar had told him about the break-up. "I'm...not with Chris anymore," she said softly, smiling directly into his eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Jaime grinned. "Liar."

"Ok – you got me," Steve admitted. It was the best news he'd heard in...forever. "All of this makes a lot more sense now."

"Oscar the matchmaker," Jaime agreed. _And a damn fine job he did, too. _"So what's in the boxes?"

Each box had a number on the side, and Steve pulled the number one box closer. "I thought I'd better wait for the operative-in-charge. I didn't open 'em."

Steve and Jaime each grabbed one flap and opened the first box, staring in wonder at what was inside. "Oh, my...!" Jaime whispered.

- - - - - -


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Well, Happy Christmas to us!" Steve exclaimed as he reached into the box and took out a bottle of red wine and two glasses. Jaime removed two smaller boxes; one held a brick of fine, aged cheddar cheese and the other had a wheel of Gouda. An assortment of crackers, a cheese board, slicer and platter were at the very bottom, and she sighed with utter contentment.

"Wine and appetizers...I wonder what's in the rest of the crates?" She spread fresh slices of cheese across the platter while Steve poured the wine. "To Mr. Ebenezer Goldman," she toasted, "to whom I owe my most humble apologies."

Steve clinked his glass to hers. "And to possibilities."

Jaime smiled warmly at him, and Steve's heart began doing cartwheels of joy. She wasn't with Chris, but did he dare to hope...? His heart had belonged to her since they were very young; did he have the right to assume anything? No, but just like the candle Steve had always kept burning for her, deep inside, hope was eternal.

"I've really missed you," Jaime told him softly.

"I missed you, too, and you can sure make a mean cheese and crackers."

Jaime laughed and reached for box number two. They opened it together, and Jaime's eyes danced with excitement. "Oscar's just a big old softy on the inside," she mused. "Who knew?" She pulled half a dozen candles from the box while Steve took out a white linen tablecloth. "There's no table!" Jaime giggled.

"So would Milady prefer dining on the end table, or the hearth?" Steve asked with a gallant flourish. Because he knew her so well, he was already spreading the cloth on the floor next to the fireplace even before she'd finished answering.

"End table's too small, and the hearth is too dirty; why don't you spread it out -" she looked at Steve in amazement – he'd done exactly what she'd been about to suggest. "Right there's good. How'd you know?"

Steve shrugged. "Years of practice. There's something else in there." He reached into the bottom of the crate and pulled out a tape player. "I'm betting we're supposed to hit Play." When he pressed the button, the room was filled with Steve and Jaime's favorite songs from a time (not that long ago) when they'd been in love. Steve stood up and extended his hand to Jaime. "Wanna dance?" he asked with a gallant bow.

Jaime leaned comfortably into Steve's strong, loving arms and sighed with sheer bliss as she nestled her head on his shoulder and followed his lead across the floor of the tiny cottage. She could understand how she'd once fallen so completely for him, and the butterflies fluttering inside her told her it could just as easily happen all over again.

Steve knew that Oscar had chosen exactly the right medicine to cure what had been ailing him. He'd been immersing himself in his work for far too long, even volunteering for assignments, trying to keep himself from dwelling on how his heart longed for Jaime and mourning everything they'd shared and lost.

They were both reluctant to break the spell Oscar's gifts had cast over them, but as the tape was nearing its end, curiosity propelled toward the box marked with a 'three'. Just beneath two linen napkins, plates and some silverware, they discovered a small thermal cooler filled with cracked crab nesting in ice that had just barely begun to melt. A second container held a crisp, brightly-colored fruit salad and a French baguette with a stick of butter completed the meal.

"This is...incredible!" Jaime whispered.

"I'll second that," Steve agreed, gazing into Jaime's eyes instead of at the food. "Absolutely breath-taking." Jaime handed him a plate, and he ate with great relish but simply couldn't take his eyes off of her. When her gaze met his own, they shared a knowing smile.

"Two boxes left..." Jaime pointed out when they'd finished eating.

"I'm betting number four is dessert."

"Then what does that leave for the last box? Let's open it next!" Jaime suggested.

"Nah – better do it the way the boss laid it out for us." Steve pulled box four just out of Jaime's reach and peeked inside. "This one's for me," he said slyly, holding up the two slices of chocolate-fudge cake (each topped with one perfect strawberry) where Jaime could see but not reach them.

"Christmas is for sharing – now gimme some!" They savored every rich, sweet bite slowly; it seemed like heaven-on-a-plate. Jaime grabbed the last crate. "You got to open dessert; dibs on this one!" Steve watched as she opened the top, then wondered what could possibly be in there that could make her blush (albeit with a huge grin on her face).

When she didn't remove the contents, Steve reached in himself and pulled out...a perfect sprig of mistletoe, tied with a bright red and green ribbon.

- - - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Steve chuckled as he held the mistletoe over his head. "Now you _have _to kiss me; it's the law, you know."

"Do I hafta?" Jaime whined, stomping her foot with mock seriousness. Inside, her heart was leaping for joy. "Well...alright." She gave him a soft, quick kiss and nearly swooned as Steve's eyes captured her own. Closing the gap between them, she kissed him again – a real kiss this time – and Jaime was pleasantly surprised by how natural and_right _it felt.

Steve had never forgotten how well she fit in his arms. His one and only Christmas wish had been granted, and his lips danced with Jaime's as their bodies and souls joyfully became re-acquainted.

"And you haven't even hung it up yet," Jaime said when they surfaced for air.

"Do I need to?"

"Um...no." She kissed him again. Jaime wasn't sure if she was feeling the past re-surfacing or if this was brand-new, but it didn't seem to matter. "Remember that Christmas when we weren't speaking to each other and our moms tried to play matchmaker?"

"There was mistletoe over every doorway," Steve recalled, laughing. "And a few extra for good measure."

"God, we were stubborn."

"We?"

"I wasn't fighting with myself, ya know," Jaime said lightly.

Together, they moved over to the little sofa beside the fireplace. Steve shook his head, smiling at the memory. "I seem to recall a surly little teenybopper who kept tossing her hair over her shoulder while she pretended to be ignoring me."

"I was NOT surly – and...teenybopper?"

"Well, you were only thirteen -"

"I was never a 'teenybopper'!" Jaime insisted, giving him a playful whack on the arm.

"So you _didn't _stick out that lower lip, fold your arms across your chest and stomp into your bedroom, slamming the door in my face?"

"Ok, alright – you win. I was surly." As they shared a laugh, Jaime's head drifted onto Steve's shoulder. "We're supposed to be observing up here," she reminded him.

"I'm seeing everything I need to see, at this very moment." Steve ran a gentle hand through Jaime's hair, happily noting how the contact caused her to snuggle even closer. "I've got a feeling Oscar won't mind if we skip the report on this one."

"I owe him the world's biggest apology," Jaime mused, "but there's no phone here, is there?"

"We've got a datacom, but it's pretty late."

Jaime glanced at her watch. "It's only 10:00 – in Goldman-time, that's practically the middle of the day."

"You know the chopper's coming back first thing in the morning, right?" Steve reluctantly reminded her.

"Yeah; I guess we can apologize – and thank him – tomorrow." Neither one of them wanted the evening to end, but when they both yawned at the same moment, they knew it was time.

Jaime tilted her head up for one more very tender, lingering kiss before they retired to the two nearly closet-sized bedrooms. Steve and Jaime both fell asleep with huge grins on their faces and joy in their hearts.

- - - - - -

Almost immediately, Steve began to dream...

He dreamed of the first Christmas after he and Jaime had met. She was quite the little spitfire (for a five-year-old), and young Steve had been fascinated by the way her pigtails bobbed whenever she moved – which was most of the time. Even though he'd decided that girls had cooties, she was different because she was _Jaime._

Steve also saw the Christmas season from his Senior year of high school. They'd decorated both families' tree together while trying to pretend they were as interested in ornaments as they were in each other. He'd invited Jaime to his class's New Years Eve party, and the teasing from his schoolmates – _Hey, Austin, robbing the cradle? _- drifted right on past him. He was too excited at finally having her on his arm (and on a real, 'official' date!) that he barely noticed and certainly didn't care what the others had to say. Midnight came, and with it, Steve and Jaime's first real kiss. From that moment until the present day, Jaime had held his heart firmly in her hands, and - even at age eighteen_ – _he'd known with unflinching certainty that they were meant to be together. He may have flirted a bit, testing the waters, especially in his college years, but Jaime was still the only woman Steve had ever truly loved.

Across the hall, Jaime was dreaming, too...

She and Steve were humming Christmas carols as they helped their small children carefully hang ornaments on the tree. Steve's hand rested gently on Jaime's stomach, where baby number three was growing strong and healthy, soon to be born. A warm, rich fire blazed in the large, stone hearth, and Jaime handed out mugs of hot cocoa heaped with tiny marshmallows before sinking back into the warmth of her husband's arms.

The scene shifted, and Jaime and Steve were much older, with gray hair and spectacles, and they sat cozily together as they watched their grandchildren hang ornaments on the tree.

Jaime and Steve both sighed contentedly in their sleep, savoring memories both old and new.

- - - - - -


	4. Epilogue

Epilogue

Jaime was only partially correct – at 10pm, Oscar was still in his office, but he wasn't working. Instead, he stood at his office window, looking out at the newly-fallen snow and trying to picture what might have happened that day in the little cottage up North. He knew when he'd planned their 'assignment' that potentially Steve or Jaime (or both of them!) could be angry at his well-intentioned matchmaking efforts. For the two people who were more like his family than anyone else he knew, though, Oscar was willing to take that risk.

He was still relatively new at the traditions and celebrations surrounding Christmas, since he had been raised in a Jewish household. He had still been a young man when he'd lost both of his parents and his only brother; back-to-back losses had turned him away from his faith and from religion as a whole for a very long time.

Three years ago – to this very day – Jaime had 'kidnapped' him and taken him for a drive in the country to look at Christmas lights, and it had given Oscar a warm glow inside that he hadn't felt for a very long time. He was still not a church-goer (and probably never would be), but Oscar now fully enjoyed what he had come to think of as The Spirit of Christmas.

He'd been planning this gift for his two closest friends for weeks now, with Callahan and Rudy as eager co-conspirators he could bounce ideas off of. Jaime and Steve needed each other desperately, and he hoped they were finally realizing that for themselves.

Steve had been utterly despondent for months after losing Jaime to death and then to amnesia. He'd immersed himself in his work, but Oscar knew Steve's heart still longed for her; after three years, he still wasn't seeing anyone else.

Jaime had been with Chris for a little over six months, and it was starting to look like things might get serious, when one morning a few months ago, Oscar found her waiting by the fountain outside OSI Headquarters with tears streaming down her face. Chris had simply packed up and left her in the middle of the night. Jaime had never discussed the reasons, but Oscar knew Steve would be the one person who could heal her broken heart.

_They need each other! _Oscar repeated to himself for the ninth or tenth time that day. _If they wind up angry with me, at least they'll be angry together._

He felt far too keyed up to sleep and was planning to work through the night until the chopper returned with the (hopefully) happy couple in the morning, but once he sat down with his mountains of files, his eyes grew bleary and his head came to rest on the tallest stack. Even Oscar was dreaming...

He saw Jaime and Steve standing at the cottage window, warm and happy in each other's arms, watching the snow. In his dream, they'd toasted each other with the wine and spent a blissful evening growing even closer than they'd been before. Once that seed took root in their hearts, who knew where it might lead them...?

Three separate dreamers, with thoughts of Christmases Past, Future and Present, were united by one common thought: with hope and the power and strength of real love, the world was as fresh as new-fallen snow and ripe with every possibility a soul could ever dream of.

END


End file.
